Two minutes to midnight
by kacsnaruhina
Summary: War and chaos plague the Digital World when the Sacred Society initiates a crusade against the Virus type Digimon. The chosen children try to stop the tragic course of events, without understanding at first who the true enemy is and what's its purpose. The Merchant and a mysterious boy are the only ones who know the terrible truth, but their objective lies in the darkness.
1. Rise of the wicked

This is my first time writing a Digimon fanfic using the original names of the characters (one day I'll rewrite my other fics and correct this, among other things).

I don't own Digimon and this is a work from a fan to other fans.

**Chapter 1: Rise of the wicked**

There was a citadel in the North of the Server Continent. It was surrounded by a great wall whose top touched the clouds. Outsiders weren't welcomed there and only a few Digimon knew the name of the place. One day, however, the gates of the citadel were opened and an army composed of various vaccine and data types Digimon marched to the outside world. As the warriors reached the first village, located in a forest, they asked the leader of the village to gather every virus type Digimon in the vicinity. Given the difference in power, the leader, a Jureimon, did as he was asked.

The virus type Digimon were confused and inquired why they were brought there. Without an explanation, the army attacked and murdered them mercilessly, including Jureimon. The reminiscent Digimon were in shock.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" A Floramon questioned in horror as the leader of the village was being set on fire. The commander of the army, a male angel Digimon wrapped in pink fabric, responded:

"We are purifying this village."

"Piddomon-sama!" a Knightmon addressed to the Commander. "We are done with this village. We should move."

"Yes." Piddomon replied. Floramon wouldn't let them go that easily.

"WHO ARE YOU? WHY DID YOU ATTACK MY FRIENDS?!"

"Be careful." The angel advised. "Befriending viruses is a grave sin. You don't want to be an enemy of the Sacred Society."

"Sin is what you are doing!" Floramon accused. The angel swung his staff and attacked the female Digimon, making her fly several meters before hitting the ground with violence. Piddomon turned to his subordinates and ordered:

"This village is clearly full of traitors. Kill every single Digimon in this place."

Floramon could hear the screams of her comrades being massacred. In impotence, she cried profusely under the shade of a tree. When the screams stopped and she heard several steps in the distance, Floramon knew everything was over. The flower Digimon could feel her life force slipping away.

It was with great surprise that she saw a figure appear and sit next to her. Floramon's sight was dizzy, but she could tell that whoever was in front of her wore a white mask without any holes for the eyes or to breathe.

"What happened?" The voice of that individual was masculine and deep.

"They killed everybody. That angel and his army… all my friends are dead…" Floramon's voice cracked.

"Angel?" The stranger inquired in a dark tone.

"Piddomon… he was from a Sacred Society… and is off to kill virus Digimon and those who befriend them…" Floramon was feeling weaker. "Please, avenge my village. You are a warrior, right?"

"I was called that a long time ago. Nowadays I am simply a Merchant." The figure replied. Floramon died right after hearing those words. The Merchant stood up and wiped the dirt from his black robe. _It has begun._

Meanwhile, in the Real World, a boy was standing in front of an apartment building in Odaiba. He wore a white jacket over a black shirt along with large brown pants and black snickers. His hair was dark brown and curly, his eyes were light brown. His height was average for a person who should be around 15 years old. The boy stared at the building with eyes full of pain and sadness. Absorbed in that action, he didn't realize when a red-haired boy left the said building in a hurry and bumped into him. They both fell to the ground.

"I-I am so deeply sorry!" The redhead apologized humbly, offering his right hand to help the other boy to stand up. "I should have looked to where I was going but I am in an emergency and had to go to a place the fastest I could… a-are you alright?"

The polite boy asked the other when he noticed big tears falling from those brown eyes.

"Did I hurt you? I am so sorry!" Worry was spread in the red-haired boy's face.

"I'm great. Fantastic!" The one with brown hair replied quickly, grabbing the other's hand more fiercely than necessary and standing up. His eyes were irradiating in that instant deep happiness and his lips trembled as they formed a big smile. The redhead felt a little uncomfortable, unable to understand why the other was looking at him like that.

"Say… do you have any idea who I am?" The stranger questioned, wiping his tears with the back of his left hand (the other was still holding the red-haired boy's hand). There was a mixture of fear and hope in his brown eyes.

"I am sorry, I don't remember you." The other replied, noticing the heart-breaking expression the inquirer had after he heard those words. "Perhaps you are mistaking me for someone else. My name is Izumi Koushiro."

"I am glad to meet you." He replied almost inaudibly.

Koushiro suddenly remembered that he had to hurry to Taichi's place. He let go of the boy's hand and began to walk. "I am so sorry, I really need to go. I hope we see each other again soon…"

"I attend by the name Katsura Shinsuke."

"I hope we meet again, Katsura-san!" Koushiro waved his hand as he ran. Shinsuke looked at the hand that had been grabbing Koushiro's. _His hand was so warm._

When Koushiro arrived at the Yagami residence, he found Taichi, Hikari, Myako, Daisuke, Takeru, Iori and Ken there, along with their partners (minus Agumon).

"What happened in the Digital World?" The computer genius asked.

"Agumon sent us a S.O.S!" Taichi answered; the concern towards his partner was clear in his tone of voice. "Villages are being attacked in the Digital World. Virus type Digimon are being killed by an army leaded by an angel."

"Angel?" Koushiro asked astonished.

"We couldn't believe it either." Hikari sighed in sadness. "Why would someone do such a horrible thing?"

"We have a new enemy already, better start moving." Myako said. Ken was looking at Wormmon with worried eyes.

"What's the problem, Ken-chan?" The green monster asked.

"You are a virus type, right? It's going to be dangerous for you."

"You don't need to worry about me, Ken-chan. As long as I'm with you, everything will be okay." Wormmon had a confident and cheerful tone that made Ken smile and calm down a little.

"We won't let anything bad happen to Wormon, don't worry." Daisuke assured Ken.

"I know." Ken's smile was now bigger. Of course he didn't have reasons to worry. Wormmon could count on him and the others, and the boy wouldn't let anything bad happen to his precious partner. Ken couldn't avoid to be constantly haunted by the memories of his days as the Kaiser. Just by remembering what he had done to Wormmon, who had always been loyally by his side despite his actions, made Ken feel disgusted at himself. No matter how much he had changed or how big was the support he had received, the guilt would never completely vanish from his heart. Myako noticed Ken's distress and wished to help him somehow. She held her digivice in front of the computer screen and said her characteristic encouraging line "Digital Gate: open! Chosen children, let's roll!" The gate in the computer of the house was opened and they were all transported to the Digital World.

**Note: Kaito Lune warned me about Chibimon's attribute, so I modified the story slightly. :)**


	2. The return

**Chapter 2: The return**

Impmon had walked alone in the desert for hours. Barbamon had been destroyed and he no longer had a mission to fulfill. The little black Digimon was in search of the Society from where his late master had come. The events in the sanctuary were still vivid in his mind just as the discovery he had made about his true identity. In the silence of the night, Impmon heard a strange noise.

"Pi. Pi. Pi."

The black creature turned around and saw a Digimon who looked like pink ball with wings. The strange being waved his free hand – the one that was not holding a little spear - to Impmon and introduced himself.

"I am Piximon, a friend of your Master."

"You knew Master Taomon?" Impmon was startled by that information. "Are you from the Society?"

"I'm quite important there." Piximon replied, studying the black Digimon with attention. "You could say I work on the field. I used to correspond with Taomon often."

"I'm sorry to tell you this…" Impmon was hesitant, "… but Master Taomon died."

"I know that." Piximon's voice had a grave tone and he stared sadly at the horizon for a couple of seconds. "I have been keeping an eye on you from the distance. I know everything that happened."

Piximon walked slowly toward Impmon, brandishing his small spear. "I also know who you really are."

Impmon barely had time to jump and avoid the attack, but the explosion of the pixi bomb sent him flying anyway. Hurt, he couldn't manage to ask anything and stayed lying on the sand, defenseless. Piximon didn't seem especially happy about his attempt to kill Impmon.

"I didn't want to do this to my friend's student. But I can't let a Demon Lord walk away."

"I'm not Beelzebumon anymore!" The black Digimon cried in despair. "I can't even remember being that monster! Please, believe me!"

"I'm sorry." Piximon apologized as he prepared another attack. Impmon was in panic.

_This can't end like this! I haven't gone through all that just to die pointlessly here! I refuse to die here!_

The Virus type Digimon had a vision, or was it a memory? He saw himself, Impmon, tied to a pole in the ocean. The waves were about to cover his head. He had already given up on his struggle and closed his eyes, waiting for death to come to get him. He then felt a presence close to his body and opened his eyes once again. Shocked, the Digimon saw a child angel floating in his front, cross-legged a few centimeters above the water. He had a gentle smile.

"Those merciless Vaccine and Data put you in this situation, didn't they? Killing because of an attribute must be the ultimate act of ignorance." The angel spoke in a disgust tone.

"You look like the type of Digimon who did this to me!" Impmon spitted angrily. "What do you want? Did you come here to entertain yourself, you sick bastard?"

"I'm here to save you." The angel said with benevolence. "I've done this before with others in your situation. They are my comrades now. Would you like to work with me?"

"Why would I agree to work with a Vaccine or whatever you are? I have a little bit of pride, you know?"

"I understand pride better than anyone." The angel answered, beaming. "I can give you great power, Impmon. A power that will never leave you, for you to use as you please."

_Power?_ Impmon couldn't hide his deepest desire. If he had power, he wouldn't have been defeated and put in that pole to die. He could hunt the heartless monsters that did that to him. He could have revenge on every Data and Vaccine Digimon in that world.

"I can grant you immense power, Impmon." The child angel caressed the Virus's face with delicacy. "Enough power to destroy and kill to your heart's content. Do you want that?"

"Yes!" Impmon spoke with fierce determination irradiating from his eyes. "Give me power!"

Piximon was hit by lightning and forced to retrocede a few steps. In deep horror, he saw a Wizarmon getting up from the sand. _He… evolved!_

The now mage Data Digimon was trembling. _This power… this is…_

"_You are now my slaughter machine"_

"NO! NO! I DON'T WANT THIS! I DON'T WANT TO BE THAT AGAIN!" Wizarmon screamed, holding his head and falling to his knees. "Master Taomon… help me… someone… HELP ME!"

_I must finish this now!_ Piximon thought. However, Wizarmon suddenly fell unconscious on the sand. Behind him, there was someone wearing a white mask and completely hiding his body in large black clothes, boots, gloves, coat with a hood and scarf. The fairy Digimon didn't show surprise.

"I haven't seen you in a long time. What are you doing here?" Piximon questioned.

"I've just erased his memory completely. Wizarmon won't be a problem for you or that Society." The masked man replied without emotion.

"Why are you helping him?" Piximon asked, finding the other's actions suspicious.

"Don't worry; he'll die soon in the real world. I am simply assuring that Beelzebumon will never be born again."

"Do you really think I'm going to trust you?" Piximon asked in a deep serious tone.

"Do you think you can stop me?" The other made sure to sound threatening.

The two of them studied each other for several minutes, without making any move.

"If you stay in this dangerous path, kid, you will just hurt yourself even more." Piximon adviced; he had sadness in his voice.

"I'm no longer a kid. You better refer to me as Merchant. But no need for you to worry; I can't hurt myself anymore. There's nothing left in me that isn't already broken."

When Wizarmon woke up, he was alone and had no memory about whom he was. He didn't have anywhere to go, so the mage walked aimlessly until he collapsed from thirst and fatigue. He would have died if a cat Digimon hadn't appeared in his front and offered him a bowl of water.

**Four years later.**

Wizardmon opened his eyes and stood up in a jump. He was on the roof of Fuji TV. He knew he had died there. He looked at his body, perplexed, and touched it cautiously. He also noticed he was carrying his magic staff in the right hand. _I'm alive. How can I be alive? Digimon who die in the real world are not supposed to ever be reborn. I don't think I can call this being reborn. I came back as Wizarmon, it's more like a resurrection. I don't understand what's happening._

"I brought you back to life." A male voice announced. Wizarmon turned his head to the right and saw what looked like a grown man wearing a mask and black clothes covering his entire body. "I am the Merchant. Does the name ring a bell?"

"Should it?" Wizarmon questioned.

"Well, I took your memories away from you, then it's expected that you don't remember me." The Merchant explained calmly, not missing the astonished look in the mage's eyes.

"My memories? You mean my memories from before I met Tailmon?! You took them from me? Why?" Wizarmon was getting tense.

"Don't worry, I'm going to return them to you. First, though, I would like to make a deal." The Merchant got closer to Wizarmon.

"I don't believe I can trust you." The Data Digimon replied.

"How ungrateful of you." The Merchant accused in a fake offended tone. "I'm the one who brought you back to life!"

"I'm knowledgeable of magic enough to know that to bring a Digimon who died in the real world back to life is a crime against nature! Someone who does this cannot be trusted!" Wizarmon felt anger and disgust shake his body.

"How do you know these things?" The man in black questioned, faking curiosity. He knew the answer for that question.

"I… don't know." Wizarmon now was feeling extremely uncomfortable. _How on Earth do I know this? I don't remember learning it during the time I spent with Tailmon. Could it be from before that?_

"It's a good offer the one I have for you. You can meet your feline friend and help her as many times as you want in any way you want. I have no interest in fighting the so-called chosen children. Once I give your memories back, you can share as much information as you like. In exchange, you'll have to do a few tasks for me." The stranger let a bit of enthusiasm show in his voice. "I suggest you make your choice quickly. Currently, your friend is in danger and a little help from you would be welcomed."

"Tailmon is in danger?" Wizarmon trembled in fear and concern. "What's happening? How can I help her?"

"Once you remember your past, you'll find a way." The Merchant extended his arm to touch Wizarmon's forehead. "Do we have an agreement?"

Unable to find another solution for the situation, Wizarmon shook his head, whispering 'yes.' And then he remembered everything.

The strong scent of blood.

The fire.

The desperate screams of those who begged for their lives.

And above all there was that angelic voice that guided him every day.

"_You are now my slaughter machine"_

To which he always responded with pride.

"_Yes, Lucemon-sama."_

The wound in Wizarmon's heart would never heal, now that he remembered he had been the Demon Lord of Gluttony. No matter how many tears escaped from his eyes, his sins would never be washed away.


	3. The meeting

**Chapter 3: The meeting**

"This is terrible." Hikari spoke as she and the others witnessed what was once a big village known as Cuppie. The place had once been famous for its bakery and kind-hearted inhabitants, but now all that was visible was heaps of charred wood and rubble. There wasn't a single Digimon in sight. Agumon and Tentomon had waited for the chosen children outside of Cuppie and told them what had happened.

"The rumors were spreading fast and everybody was in panic. The army led by the angel could appear at any minute, so Virus Digimon are running away from their homes everywhere. We've heard stories that the villagers who helped them escape in any way were being punished as traitors… and the punishment was especially cruel if they were Vaccine or Data." Agumon related. The children and their partners had signs of disturbance and distress on their faces.

"So… the Digimon in Cuppie tried to protect their friends and were murdered?" Iori questioned, upset.

"On the way here we met a Gazimon. He was hysterically crying and couldn't stop trembling. He was the one who told us what happened." Tentomon explained. "He said that he had been attacked by his friends… the Vaccine and Data from the village had begun the purge before the arrival of the army, in fear of retaliation. That Gazimon had managed to escape… but his wounds were too severe. He didn't survive."

Agumon and Tentomon noticed when their listeners frowned and paled. Ken instinctively hugged Wormon against his body. Taichi clenched his fists and shaked in fury.

"They… they killed their own friends?" The old leader couldn't accept that.

"It's unbelievable what fear can make to someone." Hikari sighed, anguished.

Tailmon suddenly heard a sound and looked up; she was paralyzed by what she saw.

"What's wrong?" V-mon asked, also glancing at the sky. A big and black bird Digimon, with a golden beak and three legs, was flying above them.

"That's a Yagataramon! A perfect level Vaccine!" Tailmon shouted. The black bird landed a few feet away from the children and greeted them politely:

"The Society thanks you for your efforts in protecting this world." He then glanced at the remains of the Cuppie Village. "It looks like my job has been done already."

"You!" Iori couldn't contain himself. "What do you think you are doing? What is that Society and why are you murdering innocent Digimon? It's unforgivable!"

"The Society is doing a noble service to this world. We are freeing it of its evil definitely!" The perfect level replied, prideful.

"You mean Viruses!" Myako accused.

"All Viruses are rotten and evil abominations and must be destroyed, especially now. But it doesn't seem that you'll ever understand that. No matter how many times we tell you the truth, you will keep fooling yourselves." Yagataramon sighed slightly annoyed. No one else understood what he meant.

"This is the first time we talk to someone from the Society." Hikari stated. "What are you trying to tell us?

"Soon enough, it won't matter." Yagataramon opened his wings as his voice became louder. "You will once more listen to the Word."

"Guys, you have to evolve!" Daisuke shouted, but the digivices didn't react.

"W-what?" Myako asked in confusion.

"A holy device can never be used against the Sacred Society." Yagataramon pronounced those words with delight. "If only you could remember, you wouldn't embarrass yourselves every time!"

_Why does he keep implying that this is not the first time we've met?_ Koushiro was trying to deduce the answer for that mystery. _Could it be that we have been brainwashed? Have we fought the Society before but they erased or modified our memories? But why would they do that? Wouldn't it be easier to just kill us? Do they need us alive for some reason?_

Suddenly, Yagataramon was hit by lightning coming from the sky. When the chosen children and Digimon looked up, they were speechless, Tailmon above them all. As that Digimon landed in their front, facing the black bird, and shook his staff threateningly, the cat could feel her eyes getting wet and her insides warming up.

"Wizarmon?" She asked softly, hopeful and afraid.

The mage didn't turn to face her, it's was too difficult for him. If he hadn't learned about his past, Wizarmon wouldn't hesitate in properly greeting his best friend and hugging her tightly. But at that moment, he didn't feel like he deserved any affection from her. He didn't deserve anything good after the atrocities he had committed.

"Is it you? Wizarmon? My Wizarmon?"

Tailmon's questions were hurting the mage. How could he let her in that situation of not knowing whether the Digimon in her front was or not her friend? He could still hear her thoughts, he never stopped doing so, even knowing that it made her upset. But Tailmon had always been his ray of light since the time he didn't understand why he needed light more than anything in the world. Wizarmon couldn't deny her the truth.

"It's me, Tailmon. I'm here to protect you."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Yagataramon sounded like he was finding something amusing. "You can't be… on the name of the Bloody Lord, you are-"

"If you know, then you should leave this place immediately!" Wizarmon interrupted him. His eyes were severe and pierced the enemy with ferocity. The bird, however, didn't look concerned.

"I thought the Destroyer had erased your memories and arranged for you to die in the Human World. However, here you are, impossibly back from the dead! That stupid ball of gum should never have trusted that deceiver!"

"The _ball of gum_ tried to kill me back then and the only thing he managed to do was to trig my evolution." Wizarmon was determined to make the opponent quit the fight. After all, he was an adult level Digimon facing a perfect level one. "Are you going to take the risk to make me evolve further? You won't stand a chance if that happens!"

"Oh, please, evolve." Yagataramon taunted. "I have heard so many stories about you that I grew curious. I want to see _him_."

Wizarmon cursed mentally. That was the worst case scenario. Of course there was the possibility that he would really be able to evolve, however, the risk of becoming Beelzebumon was intolerable. If he could, he wouldn't show that side of him to Tailmon. The mage knew, in spite of that, that Yagataramon was probably betting that he wouldn't be able to evolve. In that case, Wizarmon would be killed and there wouldn't be anyone to protect Tailmon, Hikari and the others.

"Wizarmon, I'll fight alongside you!" Tailmon suddenly stated, jumping to her friend's side.

"Of course not! Stay back!" Wizarmon was snapped out of his thoughts.

"Besides you, I'm the only adult level Digimon here. If we work together, we might win!" The cat was speaking with determination.

"I can handle this, Tailmon! I'll protect you!"

"You're not going to sacrifice yourself for me again!" Tailmon shouted.

The mage could see the tears falling from her eyes. He didn't need to read her mind to understand what was going through her heart.

"Tailmon… I'm not going to die this time. I swear to you." Wizarmon tried to comfort her. "Please believe in me."

"I believe in you. But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you fight alone!" Tailmon stated.

The others were watching them powerlessly. It wouldn't be wise to let their partners fight a perfect level Digimon, but they couldn't abandon Tailmon and Wizarmon. What should they do? Koushiro, although worried about the situation, couldn't help but ask aloud how Wizarmon could be back.

"It doesn't matter how he returned…" Hikari replied; her voice was breaking, "… all that matters is that he's back. A miracle brought him back to life!"

"That's too much of a praise to me." A male voice was heard from behind. The children and their partners turned around to see who was standing there. Koushiro and Takeru believed they were the only ones who knew him.

"Merchant?" The boy with red hair felt like he had been petrified. _Why is he here? Why now?_

"What are you doing here?!" Takeru questioned, clenching his fists in fury. "Do you have something to do with the killing and the Society?"

"DON'T YOU BLASPHEME, HUMAN!" Yagataramon roared. "As if we would associate with the likes of him!"

"Oh my!" The Merchant placed his right hand over his chest dramatically. His voice dripped sarcasm. "The Society doesn't like me! I feel so ashamed! I should throw myself from a cliff and repent from my sins!"

The stranger walked in direction of Yagataramon slowly, apparently ignoring his surroundings.

"Tell me, Yagataramon, what have you been told about me?" He asked in a monotonous yet cold voice.

"Enough." The bird Digimon replied, tense.

"Then you know what you should do, right?" The Merchant asked, maliciously.

Yagataramon didn't want to do that, but it was one of the most important rules in the Society. However, he refused to flee without making a threat.

"Just you wait and see, Destroyer! You can't stop us! The festival will happen and Destiny will follow its course as it has always done!"

Yagataramon flew and disappeared in the distance. Takeru didn't lose time and, right after his digivice began to work again, he asked Patamon to evolve, but was stopped by Wizarmon's shout:

"Don't do that!"

"Wizarmon, you don't know what the Merchant has done!" Takeru almost screamed. Koushiro was startled by seeing the young boy so angry. _That happened to me, not to him._

"Takeru, who is this guy?" Daisuke asked.

"Someone we can't trust, ever!" Takeru replied, furiously.

"It's true that you can't trust him, Takeru." Wizarmon said. "I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'm indebted to him for bringing me back to life."

That statement took everybody by surprise. Koushiro quickly managed to ask:

"What did you have to do in exchange for that?"

As if giving the information physically hurt him, Wizarmon answered with disgust:

"I have to work for him. But he promised me that I wouldn't have to fight you guys."

"I won't force you to do anything, kids, but I have useful information for you." The Merchant commented. "You can either come with me to my carriage and understand what is happening or wait until another agent of the Society appears and alter your memories."

It was evident that there was no other choice. Takeru hated that. The Merchant's carriage materialized suddenly and the strange opened its door and invited them to enter. It looked like a Victorian carriage with no horses. The black cabin had only one door and no windows. Reluctant, the chosen children and their partners entered the vehicle. Taichi was the last one to do so, before the Merchant. As he put his foot on the step, the man covered in black whispered in his ear:

"Your sister looks healthy. That's good."

Taichi didn't say anything. When the door was closed, the carriage disappeared in thin air.


	4. Big brother

Thank you for reviewing, sorry for the delay. ^-^

**Chapter 4: Big brother**

The first time Taichi saw the Merchant was when he had returned home briefly, during his first adventure in the Digital World, although the boy believed it had been a dream. He was resting on the couch and spotted the strange figure dressed in black taking a look in the house's computer. _Is that a Digimon?_ The leader of the Chosen Children asked himself in concern. As if sensing the boy, the Merchant turned to him; his mask made Taichi shiver.

"Hello, Yagami Taichi. Happy to be back to this world?" The stranger greeted with a polite and happy intonation.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Taichi asked rudely, jumping of the couch.

"Well, the answer to the first question is too expensive. You can refer to me as Merchant, if you wish. The second question has a far simpler answer." The Merchant's voice was now lower and deeper. He slowly walked away from the computer and approached Taichi. "I'm here to warn you."

"Warn me? About what?"

"Don't return to the Digital World. Forget about it and about those kids stuck in there. Just live your life peacefully from now on."

"Huh?" Taichi looked at the stranger in disbelief. "My friends are still trapped in there and you want me to abandon them?"

"It's not your problem." The Merchant's tone was dark and frightening. "Keep telling that to yourself every day. It's not your problem neither it is your fault. You might actually believe it someday."

"DON'T BE STUPID!" Taichi roared. "Like Hell I would be able to do that! If they stay trapped there, they'll be in danger!"

"Leave them there to die and live on. You don't really want to go back there, do you? You have the choice to stay here with your family. If you do as I say, I'll close the doors to that world forever and you'll never have to fight again."

"What?" Taichi was trembling slightly. He couldn't possibly accept that. However, the boy felt conflicted. The idea of staying in home and to never have to fight again was delightful. A part of him wished for that, wished to accept those conditions. But he couldn't do it. He could never do that to his friends.

"I can't… abandon them." His voice sounded weaker than he intended.

"You are a fool, Yagami Taichi." That was the last thing he heard the Merchant say before Hikari woke him up. Taichi believed it had been just a dream and the fact that Digimon seemed to be attacking Odaiba made him forget about the Merchant quickly.

However, he met the stranger one more time. After Mugendramon's attack, Taichi found himself underground. Koushiro, Agumon and Tentomon were unconscious close to him. He couldn't see Hikari anywhere. It was when he heard that voice.

"Already regretting coming back here, Yagami Taichi?" The Merchant was standing behind the boy. Like in their first meeting, Taichi got up in a jump.

"Am I dreaming again? Are you real?" He sounded slightly frightened.

"It's not important whether you are dreaming or not. However, I am indeed very real." The Merchant's voice sounded darker and colder than ever. "Look at you. The brave hero! Bringing your little sister to the Digital World just to see her die!"

"I didn't… I…" Taichi felt like crying.

"You are a terrible big brother who can't keep your sister safe. Just like that time you made her go to the hospital. You won't stop being reckless until you kill her, will you?"

"SHUT UP!" Taichi let a few tears escape his eyes. "HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT? HOW CAN YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?"

"I know many things from the past and the future. Things you wouldn't believe." Taichi thought he had heard a tone of sadness when the Merchant said those words. "I know for instance whether Hikari will live or die."

In that moment Taichi felt fear. The greatest fear he had ever experienced. He could feel his body shake as he imagined the last thing he wanted to imagine.

"She's not… she can't die… she can't…"

"Whether the girl lives or dies is up to you to decide." The Merchant sounded strangely empathic. He got on one knee and held the boy's chin with delicacy. "I can save Hikari if you do a thing to me."

"S-save Hikari? Can you do it?" Taichi regained a part of his hope.

"That's easy. When you had your little quarrel with Ishida Yamato, Homeostasis used Hikari's body to communicate with you. When God does that to someone, the vessel is changed forever."

"The thing that possessed Hikari… wait, but that thing said it wasn't a god!"

"You could say that Homeostasis doesn't have a very high self-esteem." The Merchant mocked. "What is important is that thanks to God's action, it's possible to awake a power in Hikari. A holy power based in light and that reflects what resides in her heart. That power can easily save her."

"Then do it!" Taichi ordered. "If this power can save my sister's life, go awake it and save her!"

"How rude. Is that how you ask favors?" The Merchant reprehended coldly.

"I-I'm sorry." Taichi quickly apologized. "Please, save Hikari."

"I know the right spell to awake that power in her. I can do it in the comfort of my carriage." The Merchant stood up and walked towards Koushiro, who was lying on the ground a few meters at Taichi's right direction. The Merchant crouched next to the red-haired boy and leaned to him. Taichi couldn't see the stranger's hands from where he was standing, but assumed they were resting on his lap.

"You know, Yagami Taichi, there are a few conditions for this job. You must fulfill them, so I can save Hikari." The Merchant said, without turning around.

"I'll do anything." Taichi stated. He was afraid of what the stranger would ask him to do, though.

"The first thing is rather obvious. Never mention that you know me or what I did to anyone. If you disobey this order, I'll consider our deal invalid and I'll kill your sister immediately." The Merchant spoke slowly and made sure to sound terrifying. "I have ways to know when I am mentioned."

"Of course, I can keep this as a secret. There's no problem at all." Taichi sighed in relief.

"The other condition you will fulfill in a near future. It has to do with Koushiro." The Merchant added, standing up and apparently fixing something in his left sleeve before turning around to face Taichi.

"Koushiro?" The leader of the Chosen Children was confused. "What do you want with Koushiro?"

"I have an interest in him, nothing that concerns you. In a few years, he'll feel troubled. He will want to discuss a family problem with you. I need you to tell him, when this day comes, that you can't hear what he has to say." The stranger explained.

"What? Why? What's the reason for that?" Taichi didn't like the idea of refusing to help Koushiro if he needed to talk to him.

"You only have to do this once. It's going to happen in the middle of a mission in the Digital World, so you'll have the excuse that you are too busy to listen to his problem. Since I feel generous, I'll make you this offer: one hour after you refuse to hear Koushiro, the first condition will be extinct and you'll be able to tell everything you know about me to anyone." The Merchant made an effort to sound reliable.

"Then… one hour later I'll be able to explain everything to Koushiro, apologize to him and listen to what he has to say!" Taichi was enthusiastic now. "He's going to understand, Koushiro is very reasonable. Besides, as far as I know, he has a great family! His family problem can't possibly be something too serious!"

"It seems that you agree to my terms." The Merchant commented in delight.

"Yes. We have a deal! Now, go help Hikari!" Taichi said.

"It will be my pleasure." The Merchant replied in a mysterious tone. He took a black knife out of his left sleeve and stuck it on the ground, disappearing next. It didn't take long to Taichi to realize that he didn't actually have any guarantee that the stranger was really going to save Hikari. As far as the bearer of courage knew, the Merchant could have been just messing with his head. That made Taichi anxious and angry. His sister was in danger and the only reliable thing that could help her was the medicine. Instead of losing time believing in fishy stories, he should have moved right away to Hikari's aid.

"Hey! The three of you! Wake up already!" Taichi said in loud voice. Agumon, Tentomon and Koushiro seemed disoriented at first, but quickly remembered what had happened.

"Mugendramon attacked… and we fell here." Koushiro was still putting his thoughts together, standing up with Tentomon's help.

"Koushiro-han, your elbow!" Tentomon sounded alarmed. The boy took a look at his right elbow and noticed there was a small cut in it, from where a little trail of blood was visible.

"The injury was probably caused by the fall, but it's not a big wound. I'm going to be fine, don't worry." The bearer of knowledge assured his partner with a smile.

"If you're done talking, we should get going!" Taichi urged the others. He would eventually break down and talk about what had happened to Hikari long ago, being listened and consoled by Koushiro. The older boy wasn't expecting for the red-haired to be so understanding and emphatic. Truth be told, Taichi had believed that Koushiro was a person who didn't have the capability to deal with people's emotional problems. To be helped by him like that surprised the leader at the same time that made him feel guilty about his deal with the Merchant. _But that was probably a bunch of lies; I don't have any real reason to believe in that,_ the boy thought. Of course, when he saw Hikari using a strange power based in light, Taichi had no other choice but to believe that everything the Merchant had said was true. When the time arrived, he would have to refuse to hear Koushiro's problem. _It's going to be okay. He's going to understand, right?_

Years later, when Taichi, Koushiro and the new Chosen Children were reunited in a big saloon filled with tall bookshelves and strange objects to talk to the Merchant (according to Koushiro, the interior of the carriage was probably part of a different dimension), the original bearer of courage couldn't stop thinking about the events that had brought the Merchant to his life. Leaning against a wall, he watched the backs of those who were younger than him. The man in black had walked to the front of the group.

"First I need to cast a spell to prevent your memories to be rewritten by the _Word_. I can't restore your memories, so you'll have to figure out what was real and what wasn't on your own." The Merchant explained as he looked for something in a nearby shelve. "Then I'll explain what I can, if you attend to one condition."

"I knew there was going to be a trick!" Takeru whispered angrily to himself.

"What condition?" Koushiro asked in a calm and controlled tone.

"No Chosen Child will ever fight me." The Merchant stated. "Not that any of you would be able to hurt me, anyway."

"Then who is going to stop you?" Takeru questioned loudly, not containing himself. At that point, everybody was staring at the blonde and wondering what was his History with the Merchant.

"Don't be so cocky, Takaishi Takeru." The stranger's voice had now a horrifying cold tone. "Not even Homeostasis itself can stop me. Don't you think you can."

"Homeostasis?" Myako wondered in loud voice.

"Gennai-san told me about it once." Koushiro replied. "He is indeed an agent of this entity. Homeostasis chose us to be Chosen Children and it surveys the stability of the Digital World, like a security system. Homeostasis created the Agents, who are Gennai-san and his companions, to act like its arms and legs because it doesn't have a physical form and-"

"Wrong!" The Merchant suddenly exclaimed, sounding irritated. "Homeostasis does have a physical form! But of course something like Gennai wouldn't know. Homeostasis is trapped out of the tissue of reality and can never get out of there. However, it can sometimes use someone's body to communicate."

"This Homeostasis… is it the thing that possessed Hikari back when we were fighting the Dark Masters?" Tailmon suddenly asked.

"Yes, it was one of the few times God interfered in the world." The Merchant spoke vaguely. "The Society claims to worship Homeostasis, though I doubt those Digimon ever communicated with the entity. But that didn't stop them from pursuing their objective."

"What objective?" Ken questioned, anxiously. "Why are they doing all those atrocities?"

"I will tell you when you accept my condition." The Merchant said. "Or you can refuse, leave my carriage and wait for your memories to be changed for… I lost track of how many times that happened so far but you got the point."

It was evident for Taichi that everybody was conflicted. The original bearer of courage decided to express his opinion.

"We should do as he says. Our only chance to win this battle is to know what the enemy is plotting. Besides, I don't want them to keep messing with my head."

"But Taichi-san!" Takeru tried to argue, but the majority seemed to agree with Taichi. Koushiro was the last one to manifest his thoughts. He stared at the Merchant, who turned his hidden face to the boy. An intense atmosphere could be felt between the two of them.

"You will not fight us either." Koushiro stated, firmly.

"I am not a fighter." The other replied.

"You will not harm my friends in any way." The boy made the sentence sound like a threat.

"I have no interest in unimportant people." The Merchant phrased that sentence slowly, as if he expected Koushiro to grasp the true meaning behind those words. He knew, however, that nobody knew his real intentions. "I suppose we can get down to business now."

Far from there, in the real world, it was getting late and Izumi Masami had just entered his house and kissed his wife when it was heard a knock on the door that had been just closed. Yoshie opened it and found a boy with curly dark brown hair wearing a white jacket over a black shirt, standing in front of the entrance. Masami approached his wife to take a glance in whoever was outside. The boy looked at those two people as if he had longed for them, his light brown eyes shone with intense emotion.

"Are you Koushiro's friend?" Yoshie asked the boy, studying his features with interest.

"It's complicated." The boy answered, trembling. "It's an unbelievable story. You'll think I'm crazy. You'll think I'm telling some bad joke but I swear it's all true." His voice had started to crack and his eyes were now filled with tears. Yoshie and Masami felt the strange urge to hug that boy. "I-I shouldn't be here… I'm just being selfish… I'm so sorry."

The young man tried to leave the place, but the woman instinctively held him by the hand.

"Please, tell us what you came here to say." She asked. Yoshie could feel that it was something extremely important.

"Who are you?" Masami didn't understand why he needed the answer for that question so much. There was something strange about that boy.

"I was brought here from a parallel universe by a powerful man who wears a white mask… he told me that he could make my wish reality…"

"What wish?" Yoshie asked.

"I had lost my entire family… I was all alone… then he appeared and told me that he could give my family back to me…" It was getting harder for the boy to speak. His face was now being washed by tears, "… I just had to go to a universe where there wasn't a version of me… where I was never born or… was already dead…"

Yoshie and Masami felt their hearts heavy._ It can't be… he can't possibly…_

"Who are you?" The woman asked in a weak voice. She was about to start crying too.

"I attend by the name Katsura Shinsuke… but that's not my real name." The young man made his best effort to speak clearly. "My real name is Makoto… I-Izumi Makoto… I am your son."


	5. The Dark Age

**Chapter 5: The Dark Age**

The Merchant had left the saloon for five minutes, returning then with a black marker and a dropper. He drew a circle on the floor and wrote strange hieroglyphs inside it. After he had finished, the stranger asked for a digivice and Taichi gave him his. The digivice was put in the middle of the circle and the Merchant dripped the liquid from the dropper on it. It was red and Agumon and the other Digimon recognized the scent.

"Is that blood?" Agumon questioned.

"Yes." The man in black replied with indifference. "Blood spells are quite handy. I just need to perform one in one digivice and everybody who has a digivice will be protected against the Word."

"Whose blood is that?!" Takeru asked.

"None of your business." The other answered darkly. A golden light shone in Taichi's digivice and in all the other digivices in the room after the blood was dripped. "All done."

The D-terminals of Takeru, Myako and Iori received e-mails.

"My brother is with Sora-san. It' seems that their digivices emitted a golden light and they want to know what is happening." The blonde kid reported.

"Mimi-san's digivice did the same thing." Myako said.

"Jyou-san's too." Iori added.

"We should meet them later to discuss the situation, with the exception of Mimi-san, because she's in The United States." Hikari proposed and everybody agreed. Ken was particularly tense. The boy turned to the Merchant with serious and inquisitive eyes.

"What's this Word you keep mentioning?" Ken inquired, still holding Wormmon protectively.

"That's an intelligent question, Kaiser-kun." The Merchant commented meanly, making Ken frown. "However, in order to explain that, you need to know about the Society."

"What do you want in exchange for that information?" Koushiro asked, finding it suspicious that the Merchant would give so much information to them.

"Everything I'm going to tell you is included in the package. You simply must never fight me." The man in black replied, sitting cross-legged on the floor and inviting his guests to do the same. "It's going to be a long story, so be patient and don't interrupt me. When the Digital World was still young, the Vaccine and the Data Digimon tried to exterminate the Viruses for the first time. It was back then that a group of Digimon was chosen by Lucemon and would be known as the Demon Lords. And it was in that time that the Digital World was first visited by human children. They tried to keep this story a secret and turn it in vague myths and legends. But you'll know the Truth now. I will tell you about the Dark Age."

**Beginning of the Merchant's narrative:**

The year was 1995. There was a small orphanage in Hikarigaoka where five children lived. Tamaki-san was a kind and sweet 12 years blonde boy. He disliked arguments and was always taking care of others. His father owned a company that went bankrupt, so he abandoned his son in the orphanage when he was five years old and never returned. Tamaki almost never mentioned his family and used to force a smile all the time so people wouldn't worry about him.

Homura-san was 12 years old too. She was from a traditional family descendent of samurais. Her mother had passed away when she was six years old. When she was seven years old, it was discovered that her father had poisoned her mother, out of jealousy. The man didn't want to go to jail, so he took his own life committing seppuku. Homura-san was very quiet and serious and she didn't really like socialize with the other children. She had a long and beautiful black hair.

Otae-san and Shin-chan were siblings. She was 11 years old and he was eight. The big sister had a ferocious and brave personality, being reckless sometimes. Her hair was short and brown and she liked to wear red goggles. She was misunderstood many times and fought with other kids, but she would always apologize later because Otae-san couldn't stand to be in bad terms with anyone. Shin-chan had short brown hair and was overly attached to his sister. He was very shy and gentle. Their mother had run away with another man when the big sister was seven years old. Their father had begun to drink a lot and would try to hit his children, but Otae-san never let him touch her brother. One day the man tripped on the stairs, hit his head and died.

There was still another child, a ten years old boy. He was left in the orphanage when he was a just born baby. He was abandoned in the place's door during a cold night and would have died if the woman responsible for the institution hadn't heard his cries. Whoever his mother was, she must have never loved that boy. He was given the name Kanda.

Those children grew up in a society that would look at kids with no families like hindrances. I don't know whether or not you are familiar with the fact that most of the orphans and abandoned children will probably never have a new home because so many people still believe that adoption stains the family. But those five children had found a family among themselves. After they had been abducted to the Digital World and bounded with five monsters, they naively believed their family had become bigger.

They had been brought there to fight the Demon Lords. They were also in a group of five. Their leader was the angel Lucemon, who had been one of the first researchers of the Digital World, along with Holyangemon and Angewomon. They had built the great Digital Library to store their knowledge, but soon they would part ways. Holyangemon was an instigator of the violence against the Viruses and believed they should be exterminated for being impure. Angewomon tried to stop Holyangemon, but he cursed her and turned her in Ladydevimon, and then he locked her in the dark ocean dimension. Lucemon respected Angewomon and was furious at Holyangemon's actions, but he knew that it wouldn't be enough to just kill him. So the ultimate angel conceived a plan that he shared only with the Digimon who would be his right-hand man.

Differently from you, who were chosen by Homeostasis, the first generation of Chosen Children were picked by Lucemon. His plan was to make the Demon Lords slaughter Digimon of all attributes and make them unite against a common enemy. Plus, those Digimon would be saved by human children, beings who didn't have attributes, which would help to cease the discrimination among Digimon. The kids fought the Demon Lords and Holyangemon's minions at the same time. Eventually, Ladydevimon evolved, broke free from the dark dimension and assisted the children. She battled Holyangemon and nearly killed him, but the male angel, in a desperate attempt to beat her, evolved to a form he'd despise more than anything in the world. With the help of the children, the female demon locked her former companion in a cage inside a castle in the dark area. Until today she's guarding him. They both were in the Demon Lord class, but neither of them ever joined Lucemon.

Lucemon's minions were Barbamon, the most knowledgeable Digimon to ever live and Lucemon's right-hand man; Belzeebumon, the main assassin of the group who would be best known as Slaughter Machine; Belphemon, who didn't seem to care a lot by what happened in the world; and Leviamon, who was secretly plotting to take Lucemon's position. Belzeebumon was the first one to die and his digitama was sealed in a mountain; Belphemon was the second one to die and his digitama disappeared; Leviamon was defeated by Lucemon himself and devolved to perfect level, to this day he rules over the dark ocean; Lucemon had let himself be defeated by the children and took his secrets to the grave, but the secrets were later discovered. Barbamon was afraid to die, so he made a shameful deal with a former enemy. I believe Koushiro and the blonde brothers can tell that story better.

And then all the enemies had been defeated and the children could go back to their world. There was even a gate that could be open in the Demon Lords' sanctuary. But their Digimon partners didn't want them to go. They had evolved to become the strongest Digimon in existence. Four of them would be known as Sovereigns or Holy Beasts. Tamaki-san's partner was a two headed turtle called Xuanwumon; Homura-san's was the tiger Baihumon; Otae-san's was the dragon Qinglongmon; Shin-chan's partner was the sparrow Zhuqiaomon. The partner of Kanda wasn't a Sovereign, but a Holy Knight… the strongest and deadliest Digimon: Alphamon. The four beasts would dedicate their lives to protect the Digital World and Alphamon would recruit Digimon to build a citadel where the knowledge of the Digital World would be protected, this citadel is where the Sacred Society operates. To prevent the true story to be known, Alphamon elaborated a spell to rewrite memories and taught it to his subordinates, that spell is called the Word. With time, the members of the Society began to believe they were the true servants of Homeostasis, although Homeostasis had never contacted them. Those Digimon became more and more fanatic until they decided that their _God_ would reward them if they cleaned the Digital World. That's why they initiated this mass massacre. Or at least that's the justification they use.

Maybe you are wondering about those children's fate. Alphamon and the Sovereigns needed them so they could keep their levels. They said it was for the sake of the Digital World. Who would care, anyway? They were just five rejects from human society. Children who didn't belong to anywhere and who should be glad that their insignificant existence had any meaning to the Digital World. Their true fate would be kept as a secret. Temples would be built in their honor; their legend would give hope to Digimon and inspire the Agents to choose you guys. Those five Digimon would cry everyday as they convinced themselves that they had made the right decision in order to keep the Digital World safe. They would apologize countless times, but it wouldn't make a difference.

That day those five Digimon who had promised to protect their human partners, attacked them to devour their data and never devolve. Those five idiots who believed they were heroes found out that they were not different from pigs sent to a slaughterhouse. They should have seen that coming. Five children with no family being chosen to be heroes? Absurd! They wouldn't be missed by anyone, so their safety didn't really matter. They were sacrificed for the sake of the Digital World, that's what they said. In my opinion, they were brought here to die pointlessly in the cruelest way possible.

**End of the Merchant's narrative**

A mortal silence filled the saloon. Not even one of the Chosen Children was able to speak after hearing that horrible story. Hikari, Myako, Ken, Daisuke, Takeru and Iori tried to stop the tears from falling from their eyes. Taichi was utterly shocked by the narrative and couldn't stop shaking. Koushiro didn't show any reaction, his face was blank. He was the person who had been affected the most by that story, but he refused to show the damage those words caused in him. He wouldn't give that satisfaction to the Merchant. Tentomon observed his partner with concern. Not only was he disturbed by the idea of Digimon murdering their human friends, he also couldn't stop thinking that the Merchant knew about Koushiro's adoption and used that story to hurt the boy. Tentomon didn't know why, but he sensed that the strange figure dressed in black had something against Koushiro. And the hatred the insect already had towards that being had grown stronger than ever. He couldn't trust him, neither could he forgive him.

"That… can't be true." Wormmon broke the silence, his voice was weak and hesitant. "They were their partners… they wouldn't… they couldn't possibly…"

"I don't care whether you believe in me or not. I have told you everything I could. Now get out of my carriage." The Merchant cut Wormmon off with rudeness.

The door of the carriage was opened and the Chosen Children found themselves in a park in Odaiba. It was already night, and they had gone to the Digital World during the afternoon. They walked slowly to the exit while the Merchant was talking to Wizarmon. Agumon and Tentomon stayed together with Taichi and Koushiro. The other Digimon hadn't devolved after returning to the human world, maybe because they had traveled in the carriage. The mage Digimon, after hearing the Merchant's instructions, accompanied Tailmon and the others to the outside. Once they had all left the carriage, the vehicle vanished.

"The meeting place suggested by Onii-chan was our Father's apartment. He's in another town covering a story, so we could discuss everything with the others without having to worry about the time." Takeru informed bluntly. The atmosphere was heavy and nobody seemed to want to talk about what had happened. Daisuke felt mentally exhausted; even though he wanted to go to the reunion, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to focus on anything. He needed to be alone and think about what had happened that day. Iori felt he needed to think too. He had been trying to see the world in a more flexible manner; however he didn't know what to think about Digimon killing their partners. Was it acceptable to save the Digital World to sacrifice children? He couldn't possibly acknowledge that as right, but it wasn't a simple situation. Myako was absolutely terrified and disgusted. The betrayal of those Digimon was unforgivable and she couldn't avoid placing herself on the shoes of those children. She just wanted to go home and cry. Takeru and Hikari couldn't yet formulate elaborated thoughts on the subject. The shock was still too big for them and there was a tiny hope that maybe the Merchant was telling lies. Ken wasn't able to digest the story and at the same time he was the first one who had accepted it as true. That boy had seen darkness beyond anyone's nightmares. Deep down, he knew that the Kaiser would find the decision of those five Digimon rational and obvious, and the acknowledgement of that made Ken feel sick.

"Is it okay if I head home?" Ken asked almost inaudibly. "I live far from here… it's not necessary for us all to go, is it?"

Taichi could tell that no one there wanted to discuss anything after hearing that horrible story, so he suggested:

"It would be too crowded if we all went there. I believe just Hikari, Takeru, Koushiro and I need to attend this meeting."

"Before you all live, I need to tell you something!" Wizarmon suddenly shouted. He was trembling in fear but he knew he had to tell them who he really was. "It's something about my past… a part of my past that I had forgotten and that fills me with shame and regret. I'll understand if you never want to approach me again after you hear it."

"Don't be ridiculous, Wizarmon!" Tailmon scolded. "Nothing you could say-"

"I used to be Belzeebumon." Wizarmon confessed, making most of the children grasp in surprise.

"Then you are that Impmon from the mountain?" Takeru asked in a shocked tone.

"How do you…" Wizarmon was about to question when he understood what had happened. "Koushiro told you and your brother who I really was."

"If you're that Impmon, why didn't you say anything when Jyou-san and I rescued you from the water?" Takeru inquired in curiosity.

"I had lost my memories back then." Wizarmon replied. "More importantly, doesn't my past bother you?"

"You helped us a lot back then and, if it wasn't for you, Koushiro-san probably wouldn't be alive now." Takeru explained that with a little smile of gratitude on his lips. "Why would it matter what you had done in a past life? You were already our friend!"

Wizarmon was touched by those words. He had heard something similar from Koushiro but he assumed that the red-haired boy was simply strange.

"I don't understand what happened between you and Takeru, but I'll always stay by your side." Tailmon stated. "I wasn't always on the good guys' side if you don't remember."

"I agree with Tailmon." Hikari added. "But I want to know what happened in the past."

"To tell it in a few words," Koushiro began, still sustaining a blank face, "the Merchant had saved Tentomon's life and asked me to destroy a statue in exchange. I destroyed the statue but a curse fell on me and, according to this curse, I would die in 48 hours unless I met Barbamon in his dimension and proved that I was wiser than him."

"Barbamon? That Barbamon?" Taichi asked in astonishment.

"Yes." Koushiro continued, emotionlessly. He wanted to end that narrative quickly. "If I had failed, Barbamon would have broken free from the dimension where he was trapped and destroyed the Digital World, so I didn't want to take the risk of confronting him at the beginning."

"You can't mean…" Myako's face was as white as paper when she spoke. "… you were willing to die?"

"I was convinced not to give up on my life thanks to Impmon, Tentomon, Yamato-san and Takeru-kun. I faced Barbamon and defeated him in his dimension, but he still tried to kill me. He was most likely being controlled by someone and was already on the verge of death. Kabuterimon super evolved and destroyed him." Koushiro concluded.

"It was nothing special." Tentomon added. "Then Koushiro-han told us about his conversation with Impmon and the fact that he was a Demon Lord."

"Onii-chan proposed that we should keep the story to ourselves to avoid the rest of the group to worry about the Merchant and the Demon Lords." Takeru explained. "Maybe it wasn't a good decision but our intention was good."

Taichi and the others were too mentally and emotionally tired after hearing that story and Wizarmon's confession, so they didn't have the energy to discuss anything else. However, many sad looks were given in Koushiro's direction along with thoughts like _was he really going to give up on his life to keep the Digital World safe_?

"If it is alright, I would like to be excused." Koushiro suddenly said, forcing a smile. "I forgot I had promised my Mother I would help her with the dinner tonight."

"Of course, you can go." Taichi replied, presuming that Koushiro in reality didn't want to stay with his friends now that they had discovered what he had done in the past. _I bet we awoke some unpleasant memories in him, not to mention the nasty new information we heard today. We all need some alone time, but we need to let the others know what is going on._

Koushiro left with Tentomon. Right after him, Myako, Iori, Ken and Daisuke left with their partners. Wizarmon said he had to be in a place because the Merchant had given him a mission, but he wasn't allowed to discuss it, so he fled too.

That night, nobody would have a lot of sleep.


End file.
